Disability & Labor Market Analysis Published in Brazil
In Brazil there are currently some 16 million people with special needs, of whom 9 million are working-age. Yet only 1 million Brazilians with disabilities are in the labor force and only 200 thousand have signed work papers. The data are from a three-year survey by a renowned professor of Labor Relations at the University of São Paulo (USP), José Pastore, and are included in the book Work Opportunities for People with Disabilities, to be released in Portuguese by the LTR publishing house in March in the city of Rio de Janeiro.
With 40 years of experience in labor relations, José Pastore emphasizes how people with special needs encounter widespread difficulties in entering the market. "Problems begin at school, when people with disabilities have difficulty preparing for the work market because of various factors, including prejudice and discrimination by classmates and teachers. Without the skills to compete in a profession, they're denied a fair chance of getting hired by a company." Aggravating this problem are a lack of awareness by society, inadequate specific legislation, and misinformation among potential employers. This is the scenario people with disabilities face on a daily basis in Brazil.
Professor Pastore identifies ineffective policy as a major roadblock to progress with disability issues in Brazil. "Prevailing legislation requires companies to set aside a certain number of job places for people with disabilities, but this policy of sanctions and obligations is far from the ideal solution," he says. What both employers and society as a whole really need is greater awareness. "Rather than forcing or punishing, if the government were to encourage initiatives in the private sector like installing ramps, adapting spaces, and even training professionals, thereby actually encouraging positive attitudes, people with disabilities would have a more open field and more opportunities."
Under the current mandatory hiring policy, many companies only hire people with disabilities to avoid getting fined, and subsequently discriminate against these employees by relegating them to menial work, regardless of their skills. Despite this persistently adverse scenario, prospects for improvement are good, especially after the Special Olympics in Sydney. With all the media attention focused on the winning athletes in Australia, society learned more about the reality of people with disabilities and their potential.
Pastore feels that society is beginning to realize what tremendous difficulties people with disabilities face in Brazil and believes that this could be the road to change both policies and attitudes.
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